Page 8 The Skanner July 12, 2017
News
By Lauren Victoria
Burke (NNPA Newswire
Contributor)
C
ongressional Black
Caucus Chairman
Cedric Richmond
(D-La.) rejected an
off er from the White
House to meet with all
49 members of the cau-
cus, citing steps that the
Trump Administration
has taken, “that will affi r-
matively hurt Black com-
munities.”
In a letter addressed to
President Trump, Rich-
mond wrote that, “Your
Administration has yet
to provide a response to
the policies we present-
ed. Additionally, your
Administration has not
followed through on a
pledge you made to us to
facilitate meetings with
relevant Cabinet offi -
cials.”
The letter also noted
that roughly 60 percent
of the proposed cuts in
Trump’s budget plan
will slash programs that
serve the most vulnera-
ble Americans.
Pell Grants
“For example, you
propose a $4 billion cut
to Pell Grants that help
low-income college stu-
dents pay their tuition,”
the letter said. “You also
proposed the complete
elimination of the Low
Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LI-
HEAP), which helps se-
niors and other helpless
populations heat their
homes in the winter and
cool them in the sum-
mer.”
Drug Wars
The letter continued:
“[Attorney General Jeff
Sessions] issued guid-
ance to federal prose-
cutors to accelerate the
failed war on drugs that
will continue to wreck
the Black community
and exacerbate our na-
tion’s shameful scourge
of mass incarceration.
Attorney General Ses-
sions has also explicitly
stated his unwillingness
to utilize consent de-
crees to protect the civil
rights of Americans and
has called for an agen-
cy-wide review of these
agreements. These short-
sighted decisions repre-
sent willful ignorance
by relying on ideology
instead of data and com-
passion.”
Historically Black Col-
leges and Universities
The letter also said that
“
OFFICIAL PHOTO
Thanks, But No Thanks: CBC Rejects Second Meeting with Trump
CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.) wrote that President Trump
has taken steps that hurt the Black community.
caucus, some CBC mem-
bers are divided on the
next move. In the letter,
Richmond
suggested
that Trump reach out
Given the lack of response
to any of the many concerns
we have raised with you and
your Administration, we de-
cline your invitation for all
49 members of the Congres-
sional Black Caucus to meet
with you
some Historically Black
Colleges and Universi-
ties (HBCUs) have lost
funding through TRIO
programs under Educa-
tion Secretary Betsy De-
vos’ leadership.
Although, Richmond
speaks for the entire
to individual CBC mem-
bers. Some CBC mem-
bers would like a small-
er group to meet with
Trump. Others, such as
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)
told the NNPA Newswire
that “it’s up to the indi-
vidual member” when
asked about the invite.
Rep. Al Lawson (D-Fla.),
who is a freshman mem-
ber to the United States
Congress, but a veteran
lawmaker from Florida,
spoke with NNPA News-
wire in June and said that
he wants to meet with
Trump.
“I talked to Omarosa
[Manigault] about the
opportunity to meet with
[President Trump] and
talk about some issues
that are very important
to me in Florida,” said
Lawson. “I think it’s im-
portant to meet. I might
not agree with his issues
and his politics but we’re
here to work. This is
someone who is going to
be here for the next three
and a half years. You
have to work with him.”
The
fi rst
meeting
between
members
of the CBC and Presi-
A career you can
be proud of.
dent Trump took place
on March 22. At that time,
seven members of the
CBC met with the presi-
dent and Vice President
Mike Pence. The meet-
ing included: Rep. Rich-
mond along with Reps.
Andre Carson (D-Ind.),
Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Jim
Clyburn (D-S.C.), Brenda
Lawrence (D-Mich.), An-
thony Brown (D-Ma) and
Gwen Moore (D-Wis.).
A substantive meeting
between the president
and the entire CBC would
be a long shot.
“Given the lack of re-
sponse to any of the many
concerns we have raised
with you and your Ad-
ministration, we decline
your invitation for all 49
Book
cont’d from pg 7
still eludes the majority
of Blacks in the coun-
try. Meanwhile, plenty
of TV pundits point to
Obama as proof that
the U.S. has arrived at
a post-racial reality
where skin color is ir-
relevant.
However, since mil-
lions of Blacks continue
to suff er from a host of
woes associated with
the inner city, they re-
main in critical need
of political leadership.
That is the contention
of Gil Robertson, au-
thor of “Book of Black
Heroes: Political Lead-
ers Past and Present.”
His timely tome is
composed of biogra-
phies of about four doz-
en African American
icons who have served
in the political arena
over the past century
and a half. The enlight-
ening opus’ aim is not
only to educate but to
inspire the next gener-
ation of selfl ess torch-
bearers.
Many of the luminar-
members of the Congres-
sional Black Caucus to
meet with you,” wrote
Richmond. “The CBC, and
the millions of people we
represent, have a lot to
lose under your Admin-
istration. I fail to see how
a social gathering would
benefi t the policies we
advocate for.”
Lauren Victoria Burke
is a speaker, writer and
political analyst. She ap-
pears on “NewsOne Now”
with Roland Martin every
Monday. Lauren is also
a frequent contributor to
the NNPA Newswire and
BlackPressUSA.com. Con-
nect with Lauren by email
at
LBurke007@gmail.
com and on Twitter at @
LVBurke.
ies profi led are house-
hold names, such as
President Obama, Rep-
resentatives John Lew-
is and Maxine Waters,
and Senator Cory Book-
er. Others members
of Congress are rising
stars in their respective
parties, ranging from
Democrats Kamala Har-
ris and Keith Ellison to
Republicans Tim Scott
and Mia Love.
Along the way, we
learn that Ellison con-
verted from Catholi-
cism to Islam while in
college and that Harris
is of Jamaican and East
Indian extraction. Some
of the most fascinating
entries are about lit-
tle-known leaders from
the Reconstruction Era,
like Pinckney Pinch-
back who served as
Governor of Louisiana
for 15 days, and Hiram
Revels who was elected
to represent Mississip-
pi in the U.S. Senate in
1870.
Overall, a priceless
primer on the intrepid,
political pioneers who
have spearheaded the
African American fi ght
for equality.
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